Routt County commissioners have unanimously approved the 2026 road permit for SBT GRVL, Steamboat Springs’ premier gravel cycling event, green-lighting a one-day race with new participant limits and major changes designed to minimize disruption while ensuring the event’s economic viability.

The 2026 SBT GRVL event will return to a consolidated format, hosting up to 2,750 total participants — 2,000 recreational riders and 750 competitive racers — across four different routes. 

All racing and riding will take place on a single Sunday and, unlike in previous years, will not coincide with the Routt County Fair.

“We made a lot of changes. In 2024, we eliminated most shakeout rides and moved courses out to more rural locations,” event co-founder Amy Charity told commissioners at their regular Tuesday meeting. “In 2025, we took that to another level, and when our numbers were cut down to 1,800 in Steamboat, we did add on the second day in Hayden.” 

“What we’re proposing is to take the best parts of the last couple of years and bring them together,” said Charity.

One day, new participant cap

The commissioners’ decision to approve the 2026 permit comes after previous concerns about the race’s impact on public safety, rural roads and local residents’ quality of life. 

Gabe Ofiesh, president and owner of event production company Blue Pallet Events, noted that organizers and community stakeholders are facing a “pendulum swing.” 

“We had a 2024 event model that had 3,000 people racing, and that had a lot of challenges that brought with it. That’s one end of the pendulum: great for the books, bad for the community,” said Ofiesh. 

“Then, in 2025, we have this event model that’s two days – 1,800 riders, 750 racers. The community approves it a little bit more smoothly than in years past, but it’s really bad for the books and creates a situation that’s going to really make proceeding as a business, long-term, incredibly challenging,” he added.

For 2026, organizers proposed a revised model that incorporates lessons learned, aiming to reduce disruption while preserving SBT GRVL’s financial sustainability.

Course and traffic changes put safety first

For 2026, all four SBT GRVL routes will start and finish downtown and pass exclusively along remote county roads — bypassing U.S. Highway 40 and avoiding towns including Hayden, Oak Creek, Yampa and Phippsburg, said Charity. 

“This is intentional to really reduce the number of people that we impact while we’re on the road that Sunday afternoon,” Charity explained. “We do not touch Highway 40 or County Roads 44, 129 or (Colorado Highway) 131.”

A major new safety measure proposed is two short-term road closures for sections along County Roads 29 and 45. These are minimally traveled, narrow lanes chosen specifically to limit overlap with regular vehicle traffic. The closures will last only during event hours, and local residents and emergency vehicles will retain access.

Ofiesh added that there will be no two-way cycling traffic during the event. 

“There are a few sections we do use for an out and back, but the timing is such that there will never be someone going both directions at the same time,” he said.

The 2026 plan proposes improved aid station locations and designs, moving them farther off the road to increase safety and provide more space for riders to rest and refresh. Additionally, portable toilets will be placed at all aid station locations and additional points along the courses, increasing that number from previous years.

The plan also includes course sweeps both immediately after the event and again the following day to ensure sufficient cleanup. 

Furthermore, SBT GRVL organizers are upgrading communication infrastructure for next year’s event, creating a dedicated command center to coordinate race operations and emergency response.

Economic impact remains central

Business representatives from Steamboat’s tourism sector and outlying areas appeared in force at the commissioners’ meeting to testify during the public comment period about the economic significance of SBT GRVL.

“This year, even with the reduced numbers that we had, it was Mountain Resorts’ and Simply Steamboat’s best paid occupancy weekend, including Fourth of July,” said Larry Mashaw, vice president of sales and marketing at Resort Group.

“Events matter. The people commit to them, they come out, and we’ve seen a really obvious softening of paid demand,” he continued. “Some of that’s been obscured by the increased number of owners’ days that we’ve had this summer, but paid stays matter. They particularly matter to our housekeeping staff, our front desk staff, our maintenance staff, people that depend on revenue for these jobs.”

Patrick Delaney, from Wild Goose Coffee and the Chamber Lodging Committee, offered statistics. 

“Last year in August, Thursday night of the event, we saw a lodging increase from the year before of 5.4% in occupancy,” Delaney said. “Friday night, 12%, Saturday night, 12.6%, and Sunday night, 15.6% … these guests are coming, they’re paying premium rates, and they’re staying longer.”

Seedhouse Coffee co-owner Chase Lovins, an event sponsor, acknowledged that changes to course design and event logistics have come “at a cost,” but ultimately said, “We would love to see this event continue to expand and to grow … There’s been a lot of feedback that SBT GRVL has heard, and as many people have said, they’ve bent over backwards to adjust.”

Focus on community engagement and accountability

During the organizers’ presentation, SBT GRVL Community Relations Director Greer Van Dyck described community engagement, particularly with rural residents, as an “evolving” program. 

“We formed a local advisory committee, and we meet regularly, monthly,” said Van Dyck. “We gathered various stakeholders from around the community, representing a lot of different sectors.” 

“There were 350 residences along the courses for the 2025 event, and we visited every single one that we were permitted to,” she continued. “We did two direct mailers to all on-course residents. We did host information sessions in both Hayden and Steamboat that were open to the public, to share a lot of (presentation) decks similar to these and also open it up for very candid dialogue.”

Inside the event itself, increased accountability includes the now-standard “gravel oaths” for participants and an explicit distinction between the Black Course racers — moving in a protected “safety bubble” — and the three recreational ride courses.

Multiple speakers, including local resident Holly Wyke and Routt County Riders President Craig Frithsen, pointed out that SBT GRVL is now Routt County’s last remaining major cycling event, with others like Ride the Rockies and the Steamboat Stage Race now gone.

 “This is really our one major cycling event that we have,” Wyke said. “It’s really the only moment where our local non-cyclists have to put up with this large number of people on the road, and it is one of our few opportunities, honestly, to make sure that we support our local income model with the sales tax and the revenues that come with the people attending this race.”

In their closing remarks, county commissioners highlighted the 2026 event’s operational improvements and the broader community benefits.

“The organizers have shown that they can run a safe, well-coordinated event,” said Commissioner Angelica Salinas. “We’ve seen a reduction in complaints. I think it’s a great compromise to honor the improvements that they’ve made that will keep the event sustainable.”

“I think the improved planning, the improved safety that the organizers have presented to us, justifies the bump to 2,750 (participants), and I would be supportive of that as well,” she added.

“As long as we’re doing this iterative process, we’re keeping that real time communication …
I think we’ll be in a good place,” said Commissioner Sonja Macys.

The commissioners approved the SBT GRVL 2026 permit unanimously, with the caveat that the road closures must be reviewed by Routt County legal staff.